When they touch me (Shelagh Milano)

Chapter 106

ARTEMISIA

"Oh, my Goddess!" I breathe out, putting a hand on my chest.

A slender and pale woman stands in front of me as I turn around. Her white-blonde hair contrasts with the black gown she is wearing, her icy blue eyes inspect my face before she smiles feebly.

"You must be Missy," she says, her tone gentle and melodic as she speaks, keeping her voice nerve-wracking calm. "I was eager to meet you."

I take a deep breath, feeling my lungs fill back up to being able to speak. "And who are you?"

She just smiles, and after a strange look in the direction of Logan, she turns back at me. "I followed your scent all the way here. There is something that irks me."

"I hope it's not the fact that I stink," I laugh awkwardly as I try to make a joke to alleviate the pressuring tension in the air.

She doesn't answer my question, or even acknowledge it as she just continues to smile at me, looking directly through me.

Fynn has stopped yelling and is watching us as well, as the woman pulls me into her ban. "Congratulations on your marking. You must be over the moon. But something seems to be off with your wolf, hasn't she changed her demeanour after the marking in any way?" "No," I say lowly, shaking my head, feeling lost. "Why?"

Pursing her lips, she pulls back her sleeve. "I see."

"Missy!" Fynn roars, and I sense him running towards me just as the woman lays her hand on my forearm.

Her gentle and at the same time creepy smile is the last thing I see before I black out.

***

"Babe!"

I open my eyes slowly, blinking my heavy lids against the light with all my might as I force myself to wake up.

"Ah, she is finally waking up," I hear Cayden say with a worried tone as my sight focuses and sets on Logan crouching down next to my bed.

"What happened?" I ask, still feeling drowsy.

"You passed out," Logan informs me, putting his hand on my head to caress my forehead gently with his thumb. "How are you feeling?"

Suddenly, it dawns on me and I gasp. "It was that woman. That woman has made me pass out. What did she do to me?"

"It was your wolf," the woman's voice resounds in the room, making me jerk up to look at her.

She is sitting on a chair in front of my bed, her straightened posture making her look so out of the picture as she is surrounded by my mates who are looking at me with a worried expression. "My wolf?" I ask her, and she seems to light up.

"She had something against me touching you, so she shot down."

My eyes widen at her, and I shake my head. "I beg your fucking pardon? My wolf doesn't do shit. How can she shoot my systems down?"

"Calm down," Logan says with a sigh, making me glare up at him.

"Don't tell me to calm down. I want her out of my fucking bedroom. NOW!"

The woman sighs, pulling a strange bag into her lap. "Is she always this aggressive?"

"Not really, no," Cayden answers her without tearing his gaze off me.

I tilt my head, squinting my eyes as I scoff. "Great. Who is she even?"

"My name is Corvina. And I find it awfully

Qeresting how your wolf is

fighting to get me away from you," she introduces herself, stirring a strangely looking cup of tea.

After clinking a silver spoon against the cup twice, she stands up to hand me the cup.

I take the steaming brew out of her hands, sniffing at it. "Eew. What is this?"

"A healthy tea. I made it myself," she says, gesturing towards me that I should go ahead and drink it.

Clicking my tongue, I try to give her back the cup but she crosses her hands behind her back. "I'm not going to drink this nasty stuff."

"Artemisia," Cayden reprimands me, and I sigh.

I let my shoulders slump, before nipping at the cup. "Okay. Fine."

As soon as the hot mixture has touched my lips, my stomach turns.

"All of it," Corvina says, her voice

ghastly melodic as she prevents me from detaching the cup from my lips, forcing me to drink the entire

brew by pushing onto the bottom of

the cup.

I force the brew down with big gulps, my stomach twisting. Closing my eyes, I empty the cup completely and she takes it away from me immediately. "Very well."

My stomach calms down for just a second before I feel my head spinning. My mates are looking at me worriedly as I try to speak but my words just come out slurred.

I can see Fynn as he steps forward, screaming at her but my mind isn't able to grasp what he is saying.

Strange.

The room turns around, forcing me to lie down on my side.

What is this?

Suddenly, a hot feeling curses through me and I can't even scream as my stomach rebels already, making me throw up over the edge of the bed.

"Don't touch her!" I hear Corvina scream as I feel my throat contract, fearing it would suffocate me.

As my sight gets clearer and my

brain seems to pick up my surroundings, I notice that I'm not vomiting food, but a black and slimy mush that pools on the floor next to my bed.

It stinks terribly and I beg the Moon Goddess to make it stop.

Just as I think that I've reached my limit, my eyes pooling up with tears, I feel something bigger fighting its way up my throat, making me feel like I can't breathe.

"Oh, finally. You have nearly made it, dear. Just fight through the pain," she says encouragingly while I'm about to give out.

With a gentle touch, she wraps her hand around my throat, and a stingy feeling expands from my throat into my chest. Retching once again, I finally get to push out the lump in my throat, allowing me to breathe again.

I take a deep breath, my eyes widening in shock as I see a slimy, eel-like creature wringing on the floor.

"What the hell!" Fynn shouts out as the others are as shocked as me, following his example with outraged shouts.

Corvina takes out a long and shiny knife, spearing the creature with one swing. "Gotcha!"

My lungs fill back up with air, reactivating my vocal cords, allowing me to let out a bloodcurling scream.

"What is this?" Matthew asks, distorting his face as I scoot back to the middle of my bed.

I have my eyes directed at Corvina, who is still holding her knife, smiling at me creepily. Black slime is splattered all over her as she giggles, "Now you are free."